Forever A Number
by JuuChanStar
Summary: The PG-13 rating is for later chapters. 18 can never get away from who and what she is, though love can make it bearable... Yeah I'm not happy with the summary but it's what i could come up with


_**Forever A Number**_ By: JuuChanStar 

Rating: Undecided

Pairing: 18 / Krillin 

A/N: Mushy

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Chapter 1

The ice blue eyed blond glared as she tilted her head to look in the mirror, which hung over her waist-high dresser in the bedroom she shared with her husband. Gently, as if she would be bitten, she ran her hand over the number that was etched into the skin on the left side of her neck, only an inch from the bottom where her neck went into the rest of her body. She looked hatefully at the black mark…

18

That's who she was, Jinzounegen Juuhachigou, or in English, Android 18, some even called her Cyborg 18, which held more truth, she was more Cyborg than Android, since she supported human and mechanical parts within her body. But no matter what anyone said, she was still a number, and a number had no character, not in a name, age wise, 18 was a great number. Ironically she was 18 years old, just like her number, the number that was her name, once again her number classified her.

And she hated that.

18 dropped her hand with a sigh, she loathed that number, forever etched into her skin, she loathed it – and – the man responsible for it's being there. She hated them both with an extreme passion.

"Juu-Chan?" 18 turned at the sound of her husband's voice in the doorway of their bedroom. He watched her with a mixture of concern, love, and awe. A combination she couldn't understand. How could all those emotions make one expression, she would never know, she didn't express much, well…not to any one but Krillin.

"Are you alright Juu-Chan?" 18 snapped out of her thoughts and nodded giving him what she hopped was a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine" She answered, as her mind screamed at her.

LIAR!

She ignored it and continued to smile at him, but Krillin wasn't fooled, she could never fool him. He walked farther into the room not stopping until he was standing by her side.

"What's wrong Juu?" He asked softly, he sounded worried.

She hated making him worry.

18 turned and walked to the bed across from the dresser, and sunk onto the edge. Krillin followed, sitting next to her but didn't touch her, he knew her too well. If she wanted him to hold her or touch her she would tell him. 18 sighed laying her head on his shoulder, ignoring his question, she really didn't want to answer.

"Juu-Chan, what's wrong?" He asked her again, hopping for an answer. 18 scowled.

Damn.

She didn't want to tell him, this was not something she wanted to bring up, but she couldn't let him worry, then he would never stop asking her. Once again as though she were afraid to touch it, 18 rose her hand to the number on her neck, lightly running her fingers over it. Krillin saw and understood immediately. 18 kept most things to her self, she shared a lot with him but not everything. He cherished what she told him, it was her learning to trust again. That number was the evidence of her fear of trusting people and relationships, trust like that had only brought her pain, betrayal, and a body that was half-human half-machine. He didn't blame her for not trusting anyone except her brother who had, in the end, also betrayed her. The fact that she did trust him meant so much to him.

"Juu…" Krillin kissed her forehead and caught her hand on the number with his, turning hers over twinning their fingers together. 18 smiled, she loved the name, that he alone called her.

"That's just a number Juu, a number is nothing" To prove his point he leaned over and kissed the black mark then tilted her head back so he could see her face. 18 was now confused.

"Krillin…that's who I am, Android 18, that's who I will be, forever…" The beautiful ice blue eyes filled with tears at the thought…

Forever

She was stuck like this forever, nothing could change it, doctors were out of the question, and since that was her only option, she was cursed to a life of being half-human and half-machine. Krillin watched her, wishing he could take away all the pain she was going through. He hated that she was upset because of that stupid number, but not because she was upset, he hated it because he couldn't help her, and he couldn't kill the man responsible since he was already dead, courtesy of 18's twin brother, 17.

"Krillin…I don't want to be a number for the rest of my life" 18 whispered as emotion won over and tears slid down her pale cheeks. Krillin pulled her close, despite their height difference. Although 1 foot 7 inches wasn't that much difference, in his mind anyway. He held her close whispering comforting phrases to her until gradually she stopped crying but didn't remove her head from his shoulder, not that he minded, he could hold her forever.

"Then don't be… Juu you are not a number, that may be your name, but that number does not make you who you are…it's not, you are my wife, a wonderful friend and a human being, mechanical parts or not, you're human. I love you for you, not because of what you are physically, that doesn't matter to me not one bit" 18 lifted her head and stared at her husband. How was she lucky enough to have him, he loved her, despite her tendency to be rather cold towards the human race in general. He understood the reason behind the cold uncaring side of her though, and he looked past it all and loved her.

"I love you Krillin." She said softly as new tears slid down her cheeks, but they were no longer tears of pain, they were tears of happiness. Krillin smiled at the words leaning his forehead against hers, those three words from her always sounded like music to him, and they never got old.

"I love you too Juu, forever, for you not this." He replied placing his hand on the number etched into her neck. 18 smiled closing her eyes. As long as he loved her, 18 knew she could deal with anything. Placing her hand on top of his resting on the offending number, she knew it would still hurt but with Krillin's love she would eventually be able to look at it without cringing or feeling spite for it and the man who had branded her with the cursed number.

Later that day she again stood infront of the mirror, head tilted, staring at the number. She still loathed it, since it still classified her. But now mabye she could stop being a number. 18 smiled placing her hands on her flat stomach, she had something much more important to worry about right now, and the number would just have to wait. The new life she was carrying inside her body proved that she was still human, even if the other half of her was machine, she didn't care right now. She had the best news to tell Krillin…9 months from now their lives would change forever.

Forever

18 smiled and started out of the room. She liked that idea, a change that would last forever, a good change. Her smile widened as she went down the hall to the living room in search of her husband, one hand resting lovingly on her stomach.

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Ok review please!! I really like how it turned out myself and I hope every one likes it. I have the start of another chapter somewhere on my computer, review this one and maybe I'll upload it.

Review! please!!

-JuuChanStar


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